Beef and Broccoli

If you're trying to increase your protein intake (like me!) or wanting to increase your iron levels (iron is found in larger quantities in red meats), then here is a meal idea for you. To note: You may want to limit your consumption of red meats due to its fat content and inflammatory nature, but moderation is everything!Ingredients:

Instructions:Cut the beef in any way you prefer (small chunks, thin or thick slices for example) and place in a bowl. Add in the rice vinegar, water, soy sauce and corn starch (I added some Montreal Steak Spice seasoning at this point, just because I really enjoy it on beef!). Mix well and let sit for about 30 minutes. In a wok or frying pan, put a bit of canola oil and heat to medium high heat. Cook beef in batches, making sure you cook all sides so that the meat is no longer pink/red on the outside. Set meat aside. Gently clean out the wok after having fried the beef. Pre-heat your wok to high heat and add 1 tbsp canola oil. Add the broccoli, garlic and ginger and fry until the broccoli is cooked to you desired crunch (I cooked mine for about 5-7 minutes). In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and mix well with a wisk. Add the sauce to the wok and stir. Continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes. Now it's time to enjoy! Serve with rice, or noodles.

Burrito in a Bowl

This recipe is very fresh and clean - the flavors of the ingredients speak for themselves! It can be served cold as an alternative to a salad. It is also gluten and dairy free! (the picture is more a "Burrito in a Glass" to show you the layers)Ingredients:

Instructions:Cook rice as per package directions.* When rice is cooked and still hot, mix in onion powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, combine black beans, green pepper, onion tomatoes and jalapenos. Add in salt, pepper and the lime juice and mix well. In a serving bowl, layer the brown rice at the bottom. Add the black bean mixture as the second layer. Top it off with fresh avocado, a lime wedge and your choice of salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, or cheese if you like! *You can choose to cook the rice with vegetable stock or chicken stock for added flavor. Make sure to add in the tomato paste in the liquid so that it can cook into the rice for that lovely red color.

Peanut Coconut Chicken with a Kick!

The entire week I ate this meal, I never once got tired of it. So delicious and hearty! And it's so simple to make. You can serve it over rice if you'd like, but the shredded cabbage coleslaw mix added just the right amount of crunch and made it carb free to boot.Ingredients:

1 handful of chopped coleslaw mix (I just got a bag in the salad section of the grocery store)

cilantro for garnish

Instructions:Chop the chicken breasts into small chunks. On a medium high frying pan, cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides. You may need to do this in a few batches depending on the size of the pan. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside. Over medium heat, warm a wok (or any pan that will hold the contents of the recipe!). Add vegetable oil, garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the coconut milk and peanut butter and whisk together until smooth and combined. Add in soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and sriracha sauce. Add the chicken and warm through, but be sure to not boil as the coconut milk will separate.Place a handful of cabbage mixture in the bottom of the bowl. Add chicken and plenty of creamy sauce on top and garnish with cilantro.

Warm Winter Stew

A hearty bowl of stew for those cold winter nights. My favorite!Ingredients:

2 tbsp all purpose flour

salt and pepper

1 to 1.5 lbs of stewing beef, cubed

2 tbsp canola oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

1 box of beef broth (900ml)

1/2 can of tomato paste (roughly 75ml)

1 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks, skin on

2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 handfuls of your favorite mushrooms, thickly sliced

Instructions:In a bowl place the stewing beef with all purpose flour and salt and pepper. Toss to coat. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches - don't crowd the pot. Cook each side for a few minutes to brown the meat only - the beef doesn't need to be cooked through at this stage. Set meat aside. Add another tbsp of oil to the pot and cook onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan from the meat. Add the broth and tomato paste and mix well. Return the beef to the pot and add the thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then cook on low with the pot covered for about an hour. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes. Take out the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve it hot and enjoy! Substitutions: Feel free to use a gluten free flour to coat the meat. Also, you can choose to use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes or you may use rutabaga, parsnips or turnip if you like!

Baked Rainbow Trout with Pineapple Red Pepper Salsa

Need to get to some omega 3 fatty acids in your diet? This fish recipe is easy and light and the salsa gives you a burst of summer flavors.Ingredients:

1 fillet of fresh rainbow trout, skin on

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 pineapple, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

½ red onion, finely chopped

½ jalapeno pepper, minced

½ lime, juiced (or 1-2 tsp lime juice)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Instructions:Place rainbow trout fillet on baking pan lined with parchment paper with skin down. Spread the olive oil all over the surface of the fish and sprinkle salt and pepper on top to taste. Bake the fish at 350°C until cooked through and fork tender, roughly 20 minutes. Toss all chopped vegetables and fruit into a bowl. Squeeze the lime and drizzle the oil over the top. Toss to coat and add salt and pepper to taste.